OTL: White Americans in the NBA

Growing up, my (white) brother played basketball all the time -- AAU teams and the like. He was 6-6 at 16 and big enough to move people around in the post (at least locally). When he got decent playing time he was a solid double-double, a 15/10 a night kind of player.

Anyway, once we got to high school, the coach ran an all-black starting 5 and an all-white bench, and my brother never played more than 5 minutes a game. On into his senior year he asked the coach why, and the coach told him, "You get good grades and you're going to college no matter what happens here. [The black players] only have once chance at going to school, and that's basketball."

My brother walked off the team. He got about a half-ride to a big school on academics. A few of those black kids got full or partial rides to D2 schools (or "help" at D3 schools) to play basketball -- they couldn't have afforded school otherwise.

The world is a funny place.

 

Is this some overriding sentiment, where coaches are looking out for the educational well being of black players at the expense of victimized white athletes, or are you simply spewing out some anecdotal bs?

Let's be real here. What you just posted isn't some wide spread thing where the majority of coaches carry "white guilt" as white american ball players are hurt by it.

What crap.

 

Still waiting to see an answer to this one.

 

I saw Grant Hill play high school ball. We had all heard about how amazing he was, but with the exception of a couple of spectacular dunks, he was invisible most of that game. Based on that, I was amazed and impressed to see what a tremendous all-around player and defender he became in college. Point being, I'm wondering if some of that attitude came from his own approach as a player as well as the money his family had.

 

The coach should have been fired on the spot.

 

Guh? I was just relating a story. I don't need a degree in statistical analysis for something that <i>actually happened to me</i> to be relevant to the conversation. Black coach, by the way; I realize reading back that I (unintentionally) left that detail out. Not sure it matters anyway.

The coach admittedly picked his starting five based on who could benefit most in the long term from the playing time.

And it worked.

My point was that I wasn't sure if I thought it was a good thing or a bad thing, in retrospect. Some guys went to college who may not have been able to otherwise. My brother riding the pine for four years did the universe some good. Ten years later he has a college degree, a good job and a smoking hot wife. I'm not sure I believe in God, but I'd sure like to believe in karma.

I guess that was my point: That the world of race as it relates to high school basketball is more ambiguous than wins, losses and playing time. My anecdotal point, rather.

 

I am waiting also. But I am not holding my breath.